The Night of the Storm
by amyxaphania
Summary: As a storm rages outside, William and Elizabeth find comfort in each other. A Closer to Midnight interlude.


**Notes:** Posting a little later than usual because I spent practically half the afternoon making the banner for this. So: here's the promised interlude from Closer to Midnight. If you're following that fic, please do read this as it definitely continues the story. It picks up immediately where the last chapter left off. I'm quite nervous about this, so please let me know what you think! Many thanks as always to Sotia for beta reading.

**The Night of the Storm (Interlude)**

She followed him into the bathroom and watched while he poured the water into the bath. "Here you are," he said and turned to fetch out soap and a cloth for her from a cupboard. "I'll leave you to it."

"No," she said, touching him lightly on his arm. "Stay, please."

"I–ah. Okay. I'll be back in a moment." He returned to his room and set the box he'd retrieved from his mother's room on the dresser, before picking up a small stool. When he went back into the bathroom, he was relieved to see that Elizabeth had settled herself under the water of the bath, and he could see very little beneath the surface in the dim lighting of the room.

William set the stool next to the bath and sat down. It was quiet; the only sound the occasional ripple of water, but the silence was not uncomfortable. The candles he'd lit cast a warm glow around the room, and he didn't think he'd seen Elizabeth look more beautiful.

He felt truly content and hoped that she felt the same.

Elizabeth sat up a little in the water and reached for the soap and washcloth. William swallowed and tried unsuccessfully not to stare at her arms or the skin of her back, golden in the candlelight. He could see the soft swell of her breast when she leaned forward and the curve of her waist where it met the surface of the water.

He was entranced and, when he moved to take the cloth from her, he felt as if he were in a dream. "Lean forward," he whispered, reluctant to speak more loudly for fear of disturbing the mood. She did as he asked, hunching forward and bringing her knees up to her chest. She looped her arms around her legs and leaned her cheek on her knees.

He dipped the cloth in the rapidly cooling water and squeezed the excess moisture from it, every drip sounding too loud in the quietness of the room. He brought the cloth to her back and swept it over her skin, moving her hair out of the way.

"That feels nice," she said.

William followed the movements of the cloth with the pads of his fingers, trailing a path over her back and up to her neck. Then, dropping the cloth into the bath, he gathered the length of her hair in his hands. "Tip your head back."

The movement exposed the length of her throat and chest to his gaze, her rosy nipples peeking out from the surface of the water. William looked away and took a moment to collect himself before returning his hands to her hair. Elizabeth had her eyes closed and when he began to massage soap into her head, she moaned.

He was loath to distance himself from her but he needed something to wash the suds away from her hair. He found a jug on the sideboard and brought it back to the side of the bath, where he knelt down rather than sitting on the stool.

Pouring the jug of water onto Elizabeth's hair, he tried to wash out the soap as best he could, but the water was getting colder, and he could see her shivering slightly.

"Are you ready to get out?" he asked.

She nodded, and he stood to find a robe for her. Suddenly shy, Elizabeth tried to cover herself with her hands while he helped to wrap the robe around her body. As they moved back into the bedroom a flash of lightning illuminated the room, followed by a loud roll of thunder.

"The storm's close," Elizabeth said. "I only counted seven seconds between the lightning and thunder." She trailed around the room, looking at this and that, picking up the odd knick-knack here and there. "I used to be so afraid of storms. You've not experienced a true storm until you've seen what it does to the sea." Another blaze of lightning bathed the room in a sudden burst of white light and she shivered. "Strange how something like a storm can bring back those childish feelings."

William followed her movements around the room with his eyes. He was still aroused from the bath before, and every glimpse of her bare leg when she walked didn't help. He smiled however when he saw her pick up the box he'd left on the dresser earlier.

She was about to set it down again, so he spoke. "Open it."

Turning to look at him with a quirked eyebrow, she moved to stand in front of him, the box clutched in her hands. "What is it?"

William took her hand and led her to sit on the end of the bed. "Open it and see."

She prised open the lid of the small velvet box, gasping when she saw the gold and diamond ring nestled inside. "Oh!" She turned wide eyes to William. "It's beautiful!"

He sat down next to her and took her left hand in his own. "I know things haven't been perfect. I wish we'd met under different circumstances and that I could have romanced you properly. When I asked you to marry me, it wasn't how I'd imagined it and I want to try and do it right." He took the ring from the box and held it out to her. "I love you, Elizabeth. Marry me?"

She smiled and let him slip the ring onto her finger. "Yes. You know I will–of course it's yes!"

"I've never been happier," William said. He lifted her hand and examined the way the ring sparkled in the candlelight. "I'm glad it fits. It was my mother's."

"I'm honoured you want me to have it," Elizabeth replied, her eyes shining with tears. "I don't think I've ever been as happy, either. I love you so much."

William put the empty ring box onto the floor and drew Elizabeth closer to him. He slid his arms around her waist and pulled her into a hug. "We'll go tomorrow," he said. "Waiting around seems silly. We'll go to Scotland tomorrow."

With a twist of her head Elizabeth brought her face next to William's and kissed him. She let her lips linger on his in a slow and sensual embrace that seemed to last forever. She shuffled them backwards on the bed and William let her bring his body to settle on top of hers, so that every inch of them was pressed together.

She kissed him again, entwining their hands together. He felt the cool metal of her ring on his skin, and it thrilled him. He touched the side of her face and broke away from the kiss to bury his head in her neck. He knew where this would end up and wasn't sure he should let it. "We shouldn't," he said against her skin. "It wouldn't be right."

"Who cares about _right_?" Elizabeth replied. "The day after tomorrow, we'll be married! Why should we wait when we know it's inevitable?" She slid her hands down his back. "I want you."

"I want you too. But wouldn't it be more special if we waited until we were husband and wife?"

"I think every time would be special with you," she said, with a slight push of her hips against his hardness.

He groaned, knowing she was right. "What have you done to me?" he said in wonderment. "I couldn't ever have dreamed of this."

"You've done it to me too," she said and grinned. "I was a good girl before I met you."

He snorted and rolled her over so she sat atop him, a leg on either side of his waist, and her borrowed robe gaping open. "And I, a stupid, shy sop of a man." He reached up and slid the robe from her shoulders, hesitating slightly before cupping her breasts in his hands–that old William wasn't too far away, after all. He sighed at the sensation of her full flesh in his hands, her nipples hard and puckered against his palms.

She moaned and bit her lip. "How can something so simple feel so good?" she said. "I never thought…"

"Me either," William said, groaning again when she unwittingly pushed against his hips. It was the sweetest of tortures, and he'd never felt anything like it. His eyes rolled back in his head when he imagined what it would feel like to be sheathed inside her, and his heartbeat quickened when he realised that he would soon know.

Elizabeth's small hands pushed his shirt up his chest, and he helped her get it over his head. He discarded it to the side and gasped when she returned her hands to his skin, touching his flat nipples lightly. "Does it feel as good for you, too?"

"Yes," he hissed.

"Tell me," she said. "Tell me what it feels like."

"Like heaven." He arched his back when she pinched his nipple. "Like a thousand tingles spreading through my skin." He grabbed her hand. "And every time you touch me here–" he gestured to his chest, then moved her hand down to his groin. "I feel it here."

"Me too." She rocked on him. "It feels like there's a fire burning inside of me, and every touch stokes it higher."

Every touch, every new exploration, wound him tighter and tighter until he felt like he would burst. Elizabeth's robe had been tossed aside, and she was now working at the fastenings of his trousers, her fingers fumbling a little every time she brushed his hard length. She was nervous, and so was he, but the fact that neither of them was more experienced than the other was a good thing. They were learning together what felt good and where to touch to inspire moans and gasps of desire.

Dropping his trousers to the floor, Elizabeth knelt on the bed beside him and turned her gaze to his shaft. It stood hard and proud, aching for her touch, but she just regarded it with something akin to curiosity.

"I–" she hesitated and blushed, strange after all that they had done together. "I know the, um, mechanics," she said, reaching out and ghosting her hand over his erection. William shivered, wishing the touch had been firmer. "But I never expected… Will it fit?"

William chuckled. "I damn well hope so."

His laughter broke the tense atmosphere, and she smiled too. "Sorry. I've never seen one before."

"I'm glad you haven't. Now come here." He pulled her atop him once more and sighed at the sensation of feeling her naked body against his. Where his corded muscles were hard, she was soft and warm in his arms. It felt good.

Kissing her full on the mouth, he finally allowed his hand to slide between her legs, to that secret hidden place of hers that he had so often dreamed of–had written of, even, in that lost notebook–flowery words and overblown phrases that did the reality no justice.

She was warm there, too, and wet, slick with arousal, and it was almost more than William could bear. She whimpered when he slid his fingers between her folds, and cried out with force when he found her hard, sensitive nub–something he'd only read of in those forbidden books passed around in secret. "Oh my God!"

William grinned and pressed against her clit harder, sliding her off his body and onto the bed beside him.

"Ahh!" she shrieked, then almost sobbed when he took his hand away. "No… stay there. Do that again."

Unable to resist her, he returned his hand to her clitoris and rubbed it gently. He looked up to her face and saw that her eyes were shut and her mouth was closed, her bottom lip clenched hard between her teeth. He increased the pressure of his fingers until he felt her legs begin to shake. He didn't need experience to realise she was close to completion, and he wondered what it would look like when she reached it.

He didn't have to wait long to find out–one last tweak of her clit, and she fell off the edge. She arched her back up off the mattress and shouted his name out loud. William didn't think he'd seen anything more wonderful. He crawled up the bed until he lay beside her once more and kissed her cheek as she came down from her climax.

"That was–" she began through gasps for breath. "What was that?"

"I believe they call it an orgasm. Did it feel good?" he asked, despite already knowing the answer.

"Yes! Amazing! My God." She sat up a little, leaning on her elbows. "I had a _very_ awkward talk with my mother when the marriage to Mr. Rayne was agreed to. She told me that I had to lie back and take it, and that it was a terrible duty all wives had to endure. I never imagined it would feel so good…" She tugged him on top of her. "Can I do that for you? Give you an orgasm?"

"I'd love you to," William said. "But for that, I want to be inside you. Will you let me make love to you, Elizabeth?"

She nodded, and he spread her legs, settling himself above her. Just the first touch of the head of his erection to her entrance was enough to make him shudder, and he didn't think it would take long for Elizabeth to get her wish and make him fall over the edge.

"I've heard that it hurts for the woman the first time," he said and brushed a lock of sweaty hair from her forehead. "Tell me if you want to stop, all right?"

She nodded again, and William kissed her, covering her lips with his to capture her gasp as he pushed forwards. It was like nothing he had ever felt before: soft, wet, warm, tight. Elizabeth cried out as he slid inside her fully, but not in pleasure. "I'm sorry. Sorry." He murmured his words against her neck, hating that this was causing her pain. He looked at her face to see that her eyes were closed and silent tears were on her cheeks. "I'm sorry," he said again.

Elizabeth opened her eyes and took a deep, shuddering breath. "I'm all right. It hurt for a moment but it's okay now."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." She shifted her hips slightly and the movement sent a shiver through William.

He began to move, drawing out before pushing back in, every slide of his flesh against Elizabeth's sending sparks through his body, a burning fire that he didn't want to ever put out. He moved jerkily at first, not really sure what to do, but it wasn't long before he found a rhythm that felt good.

Soon Elizabeth's hips were rising to meet his every thrust, and her lips sought out his for kiss after kiss. William felt himself spiralling further and further out of control, and his movements became rapid and jerky once more. He was close. He squeezed his eyes shut and pressed his forehead hard against Elizabeth's, his back going rigid as he reached completion.

Rolling to the side, he fumbled for Elizabeth's hand and laced their fingers together. He felt her curl up against him and pull the sheet over them both. Turning to face her, he was distressed to see she still had tears in her eyes. "What's wrong?" he asked, immediately concerned.

"Nothing," she said and smiled through the tears. "I'm just feeling a little overwhelmed. She hastened to add, "In a good way."

"I know what you mean," William said. He felt changed forever. "You didn't, erm… you didn't… arrive?"

"No." She shook her head and William's face fell. He'd wanted her to enjoy it as much as he had. "But it was wonderful nonetheless. And we have plenty of time to practice."

"You're quite right about that," he replied and raised an eyebrow. "Should we get started on that now, do you think?"

"I like the way you think, William." Elizabeth threw back the covers and giggled when he pulled her back on top of him.


End file.
